


What It Takes To Be Good

by LI0NH34RT



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hugs, M/M, Thiam, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26220541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LI0NH34RT/pseuds/LI0NH34RT
Summary: good/ɡʊd/1. adjectiveto be desired or approved of."it's good that he's back to his old self"2. nounthat which is morally right; righteousness."a mysterious balance of good and evil"
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	What It Takes To Be Good

The first time Liam notices Theo's reaction he thought it to be coincidence. 

  
It was an offhand comment, a pat on the back, a murmured “Good job" after Theo had prevented the steaks from getting charred under a distracted David's care.

  
Liam, seated at the table and busy chopping the salad ingredients, only noticed the sudden waft of confusion drafting over from the Chimera. He didn’t think much about it back then but now, in hindsight, that was the first time Liam noticed how strange Theo acts when praised.

The next situation occurs much later. 

  
They are sitting in the back of Theo's truck, parked at the edge of the preserve where they are supposed to stand guard after a few “animal attacks". The night has been quiet so far and Liam can feel himself getting tired as he pulls his knees to his chest, bumping into Theo's shoulder in the process.

  
“You know", he starts purely to stop himself from falling asleep, “this is kinda nice.”  
“Sitting in the cold and waiting for a rogue Omega to show up?”, Theo snorts. “You have a weird definition of the word ‘nice'.”

Liam rolls his eyes.  
“No, you idiot. I just think it's nice to sit here with you, without broken bones and bloody noses. It's nice to talk to you.”

  
He can feel Theo growing stiff next to him.

  
“Spending your night with the guy who tried to murder your Alpha? Like I said. A weird definition for ‘nice'.” He gets up and jumps over the tailgate to the ground.  
“Come on, Little Wolf, nothing is going to happen anyway and if we leave now we can still get a couple hours of sleep before school.”

After this reaction Liam starts paying attention. 

In search of a way to prove his suspicion, Liam makes it a habit to be extra nice to Theo. They have been living together for a while now and in general, without looking too closely one would say that the Chimera adjusted well to life as a normal teenager.

  
He went to school, he helped in the house, he got a job at the local Starbucks at two afternoons per week. But Liam no longer glanced over the way his eyes are shadowed by dark circles after a nightmare more mornings than not, how he still keeps an emergency bag in his truck and the keys to said vehicle always on him – and how he watches the people around him with wary, as if he still expects his sister to appear and drag him back to his own personal hell.

  
Yes, Theo had changed after Liam unknowingly gave him a second chance at life, he seemed determined to make up for past mistakes and haunted by them at the same time.  
Careful not to make him suspicious, Liam starts slow. 

  
An amicable shoulder bump here, a smile and soft ‘thank you' there. Everything got the same reaction – unbelieving glances and confused chemosignals.   
And so the Beta decides to pull out heavier guns. Time to up the game! 

Liam is sprawled over the couch in his parents’ living room, pretending to watch a movie while he uses his supernatural hearing to listen for Theo's truck.

Like always after a shift, Theo's feet drag a little when he walks to the door, as if the normal daily grind of a barista, having to deal with customers, made him more tired than fighting for his life ever had.

“Hey", Liam greets, lazily waving without bothering to get into an upright position, “how was your shift?”

  
He listens to the familiar sound of Theo slipping out of his shoes and then proceeding to orderly put them in line with the other pairs next to the door.  
“It was alright, lots of people, lots of stupid orders”, Theo answers, already on his way to the kitchen on his search for a late dinner. Jenna made it a habit to prepare a portion for him to warm up when he took the job.  
Five minutes later the microwave _bings_ and Theo shuffles back to the living room, carrying a tray with his food, a glass of water and two chocolate bars over to the couch.

  
“If you make room for me, you will get this", he bargains, holding up one of the bars.  
Liam sits up, monumentally forgetting about his mission over the possibility of getting to eat the snack he had been to lazy to get up for the past hour. He places his feet on the ground and scoots closer to the left so Theo can sit next to him. 

  
As soon as he sits, the Chimera throws him the snack (somewhere in his mind Liam is aware that this kind of makes him a dog performing for treats but he can’t bring himself to care much, not when the chocolate tastes so sweet).

  
When Liam devoured his bar, complete with licking residues of his fingers, Theo just finishes putting his bowl on the tray before leaning back to enjoy his own dessert. In a casual, nonchalant movement Liam lifts his legs to place them over Theo's lap.  
“What, it's more comfy this way", is his prepared answer for Theo's questioning glance.

They fall back into silence, watching the movie flickering over the TV screen together. And then, after a few minutes of stiff unsureness, Theo slowly lowers his arms (the position he had them in before looked very uncomfortable and Liam almost pulled back his legs to stop him from getting cramps) and lays them over Liam's legs. 

  
Happy to finally see some relaxation, he wiggles a little, closer to Theo, “you're comfy too."  
Theo snorts derogatory but his posture stays relaxed so Liam counts it as a win.

Over the course of the next few weeks, until Thanksgiving marks the begin of holiday season, Liam gradually gets touchier, upping Theo’s tolerance for casual (or not so casual, if Liam's fast beating heart is anything to go by) touches and verbal compliments alike.

The plan seems to work and honestly, that alone should have tipped Liam off. His plans never work this well, that's what he has Mason for.

Everything kind of blows up on a quiet day in the middle of winter holidays.  
Christmas is not far anymore and Liam convinced Theo to drive him to the mall for gift shopping. The truth is, Liam is terrible at buying gifts. He cares for his mum, David, Mason and the rest of the pack but he has no clue what they could like.

  
Theo, in an attempt to get home before the mall actually closes, offers his help and Liam is surprised by how accurate the Chimera's suggestions are – one after one Liam can check off his list until only one name remains. Theo.

“So", Liam tries to appear casual as they sit down for fries and milkshakes before heading back to the car, “I only have one more gift to buy. How about you?”  
Theo shakes his head, “I've got everything.”

  
Liam curiously eyes the paper bag Theo has places between his legs and wishes he could see a logo but the simple, brown surface doesn’t give anything away. The Chimera had been disappearing for a mere 30 minutes, leaving Liam to decide on a thriller for Mason all on his own (thankfully Liam remembered a title his best friend had mentioned being interested in before) so that had to be the timeframe in which he bought his gifts. _Hm. Frustrating._

“Hey, do you mind taking my bags to the car with you? I need to go pee before we drive.”  
Theo shrugs, throwing the last couple of fries into his mouth, then he gets up.  
“You're paying, by the way.”

As soon as Theo rounds the corner, Liam gulps down his milkshake, throws some money on the table and then dashes off towards the shops.

Not even twenty minutes later he climbs into the passenger seat of the truck, a satisfied smile on his face.   
“Now home, if it's alright, boss?”, Theo's tone is half amused half annoyed but he chuckles when Liam answers with a regal nod and wave so it’s not too concerning.

  
The drive goes by fast and when they arrive Liam jumps out of the truck, grabbing his bags and runs inside to hide them under his bed. When he comes back downstairs, Theo just now closes the door behind him and with a sudden need to share his good mood and the abundance of endorphins, Liam jumps down the stairs and pounces on Theo.   
He wraps his arms around the other boy in attempt to hug-transfer his happiness – and that’s the moment it happens. 

  
Theo goes very still in his embrace, barely even breathing, he drops his bag with an audible klonk as his first his hands and then the rest of his body start shaking.  
“Please let me go.”

  
Confusion is all Liam feels when he ends the hug. “Hey, what is happening? Theo?”  
The Chimera shakes his head, “I am sorry, I don't know. It's like this every time someone touches me, like my body resents it”, by now there are tears in his eyes, “maybe it's because I don't deserve it. Or I simply wasn't built for touches that don’t hurt. The result is the same; I am broken.”

Liam looks at him, shoulder hunched, an uncharacteristic vulnerability to his features and still trembling.  
He shakes his head.

  
“No.”

  
Again, his voice louder.

  
“No. You're not broken. And I will help you see that.”

  
With that he steps closer, wrapping his arms around the trembling body in front of him. They just stand there, in the middle if the entry way, until the sun goes down.

  
And then, slowly, oh so slowly, Theo stops shaking.


End file.
